SIR J. G. WARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16052, 20 April 1914, Page 3 (Supplement)

SIR J. G. WARD

ADDRESS AT AUCKLAND.

AUCKLAND, March 25. The Town Hall was full to-night when Sir Joseph Ward delivered a political address. 'Alio Mayor (Mr U. J. Parr) pio- ■ sided. Sir J. G. Ward, who was greeted with loud and continued cheering, expressed his pleasure at addressing such a magnificent audience, which was tne largest ho iiad had tho pleasuro of addressing in tho dominion. Ho remarked that ho was not sure that tho dominion had such a clean press as formerly. Thero were days when a man could rely upon fair and non-misrepresented reports, but now the large landholders were buying out the papers, so that only one side of things would be presented to the people. However, ho said, on tho whole ho had been -given fair treatment Tho uarty now in power, he maintained, represented only a third of the electors who went to the poll at tho last election. Continuing, he pointed out that tho Primo Minister and ■the Minister of Finance for years had said that he was young in his views, more especially about finance, but now these same gentlemen were admitting that ho was right, and it followed naturally that they were wrong. To prove his assertion he referred to the authoritative statement issued by the Government through the High Commissioner in connection with the floating of the £3,500,000 loan and the last loan in February, wherein' all the contentions he had made were used. They admitted' that an unprecedented record :of progress, solidarity, and advance had been the rule during the time the Liberal Party had been in power. Let tho people look at the progress made during the Liberals' term ol office. During the period from 1905 to 1912 tho payment of factory hands had gone up from £4,457,000 to £5,572,000—an increase of 25 per cent—while there were other similar increases. Could anyone deny that there had been a shortness of money since Mr Massey came into power? This was duo to two tho London money market was against him, and the Post Office Savings Bank had no balance to keep him going. What had tho Libera] Government done ? It had given the people State fire insurance—saving them over £I,ooo,ooo—customs concessions, amounting to £6,000,000, railway concessions amounting to £2,000,000, and post and telegraph concessions amounting to £450,000, saving, with other, concessions, some £22,000,000. The Liberals had made the business of a usurer impossible, thereby saving the people pounds and pounds in interest. The policy of the Liberals had been to put taxation upon the : . shoulders of those who could afford to hear it Referring to the advances to settlers, which the present Government press had opposed when they were first started, he said that some £14,000,000 had been advanced, and not £1000 had been lost. The speaker referred to the loans to local bodies, saying that the local bodies onco had to go on the market and pay 7 to 8 per cent., whereas the Government had given them all they wanted at 4 to 5 per cent. Tho Liberals' superannuation scheme had been of wonderful benefit, for some 1200 railwaymen as well as the post and telegraph officials, teaohers, and other public servants had been enabled to retire in comfort after a hard life. The Libera) Government had put on the Statute Book a provision extending the same privileges to employees of locai bodies and other institutions with power to rate. Other good works of the party were widows' pensions and the national provident scheme, and in passing he would remark that if they took the things by which the party could be judged it would be found that.'the Liberal Party, during its long term, had been always on the side of the people. Referring to the Navy, Sir J. G. Ward said he agreed that far as possible defence matters should be kept out of the arena of party politics. He held that such a small country could not afford the risk of going in for a local navy. He said that the authorities were not in favour of the scheme. The present scheme would cost the Australian Government £34,000,000, while it was estimated that in a few years Australia would lie called upon to foot a bill of £10,000,000 per annum for naval matters. Naturallly, they wanted New Zealand to go on the same lines, for Australia could not bear the expenditure, and wanted someone else to assist to bear tflie •burden. When ho was at Home he arranged for two Bristol cruisers, three destroyers, and two submarines, but what had they now? A few wretched things oi practically no use. Ho added that he considered New Zealand would be much safer by continuing its contributions to the Homo navy, and by allowing the Admiralty authorities to ' have control. Referring to the expense, ho said that the internal defence of the dominion was costing £505,000 yearly, and with tho cost of the Navy the total would be over £800,000 while for tho next year it would be near a million, and in four years £1,500,000, or more than the total cost of the educational system. He wanted no revulsion of feeling against the defence scheme, but he maintained that the country could not stand such an expense. Dealing with the amendment to the Arbitration Act brought down by the Government, Sir J. G. Ward stated that when the Liberal Government had wanted to carry such a proposal the present Cabinet Ministers opposed it, but now they had swallowed their convictions. The Government was going to reduce borrowing, but already it had borrowed 12 millions

A Voice: "How much did you borrow?" Sir J. G. Ward: More, but my Cabinet had six years to do it in, and the Government has had two. The Government had increased taxation by £309,600 in one year, while the cost of living had gone up, Customs duties having increased by 3.93 per cent, in one year. The Liberal Party had reduced the cost of living from 20 per cent, to 4.3 per cent, of the population. There had been more industrial unrest in the last two years than in the whole of the rest of the lifetime of the dominion. Ho was not going at present to suggest policies, for the Reformers would simply collar them and use them for their own purposes. That was how the last Government policy was obtained. . Referring to loans, he defended tho shortdated loans secured by the Liberals during the time money was dear. In concluding, he said that Australia had no superannuation fund for the civil service, no-advances to workers, no State insurance, no national endowment for old-age pensions, no national provident fund, no widows' pensions, no nationalisation of water power, no parliamentary franchise for tho election of borough and city councils, and all these tilings - he would point out had been given to New Zealand by tne Liberal Government. He had been challenged to disclose his policy, but what an infernal ass he would be to do so. Why, tho Reform Party had been in opposition for 20 years, but never had it enunciated a policy, having in tho end to steal that of the Liberals. Let tho people judge the Liberal Party on its past work, and whatever the decision was, he would be prepared to abide by it, provided the majority of people decided at the polls.